Trail Blazers’ Deandre Ayton opens up about overcoming personal struggles that led to recent success

Note: Listen to Deandre Ayton’s comments and reactions in the latest episode of the Blazer-focused podcast.

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Portland Trail Blazers‘ Deandre Ayton has worked to overcome a slow start to the season, injuries, adjusting to a new city and team, and personal challenges since arriving in Rip City.

Following Thursday night loss to the New York KnicksAyton, 25 years old, opened up about some of the obstacles he faced and how that journey led him to finally display the potential the Blazers had been banking on since his acquisition from the Phoenix Suns before training camp.

“I got all the money in the world, but at the same time some things are inhumane, because money doesn’t matter, you just need to be surrounded and get the support you need” , Ayton said.

After months of inconsistent play, Ayton is averaging 29 points and 16.8 rebounds in his last four games. He has produced at least 20 points with 10 rebounds in six of his last seven outings. In that seventh game, Ayton had 12 points and six rebounds before being lost in the second half to a sprained wrist.

Earlier in the season, Ayton played much less aggressively. At the time, Ayton said Thursday, he was working his way through the offense and playing with new players. But there was much more to his struggles.

“My body wasn’t just my body,” he said. “People forget the human difference of adapting to everything.”

This included something as routine as sleeping properly.

“Just being comfortable when you wake up,” he said. “I didn’t have a bed for a while. I was on an air mattress. I’m just trying to understand this.

Ayton added that he was also dealing with families coming in and out of town. Find them accommodation. He also had to consider changes for his young son, Deandre Ayton Jr.

From now on, Ayton has a better life. He feels more comfortable with this team and its projects, and his body feels good. For these reasons, he said, we are finally seeing him able to flourish.

Ayton has made runs like this before for the Phoenix Suns, who selected him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. But his inconsistent play ultimately led the Suns to make him available in the summer last.

The Blazers hope he can become a reliable dominant force.

Proving her arrival as such will require more than a handful of strong performances. But Ayton insists this run is not fleeting. He wants the rest of the team to know that whether he wins or loses, they can trust that he will be a force they can rely on.

“I just want people to believe that no matter what the play is, no matter what it looks like, no matter, no matter the facts, I’m going to do my best to make winning plays,” Ayton said. “That’s it. Whether it’s scoring, rebounding, blocking shots, cheering for my teammates, getting them going, making plays, driving to the rim, not recovering the ball, it doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to show everyone that I can do anything.

The Blazers (19-46) went 2-2 during this four-game Ayton outburst. He was about as dominant in defeats as he was in victories.

“No matter the outcome of the game, you will see that I played hard,” Ayton said. “I played pretty hard where I tried. I feel like the whole team was like that too. We all chipped in and I did my best to save my energy for my guys so no one would chicken out.

In the Blazers’ 105-93 loss to the Knicks on Thursday, Ayton did his best in the second half, even though the team was far behind. He scored 21 points in the final two quarters with 12 rebounds, finishing the game with 31 points and 14 rebounds.

Keep in mind that Ayton showed such effort playing without Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, or Malcolm Brogdon. Ayton was the only proven veteran player on the roster other than Matisse Thybulle.

Ayton said he is maintaining his efforts to be an example for the young player to reaffirm that he is ready to become a leader regardless of the situation.

“Most definitely,” he said. “They’re young guys and playing against good teams, hustle plays and high dynamic plays tend to wear you down. It’s an emotional game. But having that fire, just that guy making tough plays with the ball and keeping going, is contagious. And I try to be that guy too.

Perhaps most importantly, Ayton feels a sense of duty to play for Rip City, which he says has fully embraced him. Yes, he’s heard the haters and doubters who wonder if he has what it takes to truly become a reliable star. But the love he felt from Blazers fans, he said, helped him get to this point.

“That’s all I could really ask for and it made it easy,” he said. “I felt like I adapted quickly. But at the same time, it’s nice to recognize that we’re human and things like that have to take place where you have to adapt to certain cities and teammates and things like that.

And ice cream.

“Literally,” Ayton said with a laugh.

With that, Ayton was convinced to launch into a humorous story about what exactly happened on January 17 when he missed the team’s win against the Brooklyn Nets while stuck at home by the storm of ice that covered the region.

This story can be found on the Blazer-focused podcast.